A huge fear for many parents when allowing their children to play in public areas, especially in cities, are dogs. Cities like Detroit, Michigan have an abundance of both tame and feral dogs, many of which roam the city streets as they please. Children may not always know when a dog is safe or unsafe to approach, which could lead to being bitten and taken to the hospital or even dying, depending on the severity of the bite. As a parent, it is very important to understand which kinds of dogs are most likely to bite, and how to treat a bite if it does occur.

According to DogsBite.org, an organization which has been collecting data since 1982 through the end of 2014, only 9.2% of the dog population are breeds such as pit bulls, rottweilers, presa canarios, cane corsos, mastiffs, dogo argentinos, fila brasieros, sharpeis, boxers. Although this represents a very small percentage of all dogs, these breeds and their mixes account for 86% of attacks that induce bodily harm, 81% of all attacks on children, and 86% of all attacks that result in maiming or long-term damage. Also, dogs that are biters are 6.2 times more likely to be male than female and are just under 3 times as likely to be biters if they are chained up rather than free roaming. Not only is it important to keep these statistics in mind when allowing children to play in the neighborhood, but they is important to keep in mind when in public areas like parks and on sidewalks.

Over 4.5 million Americans suffer from dog bites every year, with a significant proportion of those being children between the ages of 5 and 9. When a dog bite occurs, there are some very simple steps to take, to try and prevent further injury or infection.

What To Do After Being Bitten By A Dog

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION!

If help is taking too long to arrive, get a clean towel and place it on the injury and keep it elevated.

It is important to wash the wound with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment every day that the wound is still open.

Wrap the injury with a sterile bandage to keep debris out.

If the owner of the dog is known, find out whether the animal is up to date with shots, most importantly the rabies vaccine.

Although dogs are man’s best friend, they can still be dangerous animals. It is important to know how to interact with these animals and what to do if something goes wrong. If you or someone you know has been bitten by an animal, call The Michigan Law Firm, PLLC. Our attorneys are highly experienced in handling all types of dog bite cases. Call us today, at 844.4MI.FIRM for a free consultation.